


Turning Page

by NICEISME



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Bullying, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-29
Updated: 2017-01-29
Packaged: 2018-09-20 10:46:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9487784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NICEISME/pseuds/NICEISME
Summary: Newt cast a revelio without a second pause after he managed to hold Graves down.Why?Let take us back to an early 20th century,He was eight years old when Theseus brought an American friend to their house. A teenage boy with dark features, he spoke with few words and a funny accent.





	

**Author's Note:**

> The characters belong to J.K. Rowling but any grammatical errors are mine, lol.  
> English is still not my first language and I didn't do any betas. 
> 
> Thank you for reading, much love.

Newt cast a revelio without a second pause after he managed to hold Graves down.  
  
 _Why?_  
  
Let take us back to an early 20th century,  
  
He was eight years old when Theseus brought an American friend to their house. A teenage boy with dark features, he spoke with few words and a funny accent.  
  
“Artie, this is my friend from Ilvermorny, Percival Graves.”  
  
“You’re the one who beat my brother in the forbidden forest quest! He said you befriended with the centaurs, _I like you._ ”  
  
“Well, if you agree with that, you can call me Percy, little one.”  
  
Newt had never liked his tiny frame, but he might enjoy that endearment a bit too much.  
  
“He did not beat me and this little menace is my brother, Artemis, but he likes to call himself Newt.”  
  
“Because my name is Artemis Newton Fido Scamander!” He offered his smaller hand up toward Percy like when his daddy met new people, mummy would be proud.  
  
“Nice to meet you, Artemis, or Newt? Would you like me to call you Newt?” Percy’s hand engulfed his own.  
  
Newt had always thought he had a girly name, he only let his family called him by his first name but-  
  
“Ah- Artemis or Art is okay.”  
  
Because Percival was a handsome name and still, he got to call him Percy instead, Newt considered himself a fair man after all.  
  
Newt’s father might make a change in his birth certificate by rearranging his names in the fallowing winter, but he was still Artemis to his mummy, daddy, Teddy and _of course, Percy._  
  
.  
  
Theseus declined to sit with him after they left the nine and three-quarters platform, saying Newt should make some new friends and he needed to check the other kids, Prefect’s duty did sound very much like a burden to him.  
  
After staring out through a window at a peculiar looking bird with the reddest feathers he’d ever seen for a long while, he found himself staring at the beautiful brown skin girl across from him _a little longer_.  
  
Leta Lestrange was her name, it was beautiful and mysterious like her smile.  
  
They were on the carriage that pulled itself when she told Newt that she wanted him to get sorted into Slytherin like she certainly would be, he reluctantly wished the same, even though, he wanted to be a Gryffindor like Theseus.  
  
The sorting hat was so bewildered with him, it said his wit would do well with Ravenclaw and he was braver than half of the seventh-year Gryffindor.  
  
“Why Slytherin, boy?” The voice was loud enough for only him to hear.  
  
“I- I don't know, I have a friend there.”  
  
“You can make others.”  
  
Before he could come up with another excuse, the red bird he saw on the train flew across the dining tables and landed on his lap.  
  
He let out a horrifying scream when it burst into flame. Despite the alarmed people, he didn't push it off.  
  
A small beak peaked from the ashes and chirped softly at him, he couldn't hold back his joyous laugh.  
  
And the hat couldn't hold back its shout for _Hufflepuff_.  
  
Newt knew that most of the things that sorting hat had said to him were right except for one,  
  
 _He couldn't make other friends._  
  
.  
  
Newt wrote to Percy about how his care for magical creatures teacher’s inability to understand the importance of first year’s lack of knowledge that needed to be fulfilled, Leta’s cat and Theseus’ not so secret crushes, especially ones that Newt didn't approve.  
  
He called for Chopin, his other pet, when he needed to send the letter, a young hippogriff wasn't that hard to hide but it would definitely cause a havoc if he showed up with him in transfiguration class.  
  
Or it would be a havoc as well as when one peaceful morning was interrupted by a flying beast on the breakfast table. Across of what was left of the hall, Theseus never looked so furious.  
  
Professor Dumbledore gave Newt a brown eagle and a detention in a library for weeks in exchange for a promise in more efficiency in hiding his pets in the future.  
  
“A normal owl will do just fine, professor.” Newt said without taking his eyes off the bird. She was just so gorgeous.  
  
“Flying across the ocean need a strong bird, and as I recall, _New York_ is on another side of the Atlantic Ocean, is it not?”  
  
He hoped his blushes were hidden well by the yellow striped scarf, but judging by a wink behind half-moon eyeglasses; his scarf was simply useless.  
  
Chopin flew to Hogwarts sometimes, in that sometimes he carried something, from Theseus forgotten gloves, father’s parchments that just mainly dad jokes, Newt’s appointment with the hairdresser to Percy’s letters.  
  
The last ones were the only things that worth mummy’s howlers.  
  
.  
  
“Make some new friends, Art. You can't just talk to one person all the time and she's from a different house! Merlin, what would you do if you need help like in the middle of the night or something?”  
  
“You know I- I can't. Leta will help me if it's really that- that needed situation. And I have you and Percy. I don't want anyone else.”  
  
“Oh my- could you just- Listen, Leta is a Slytherin girl who lives in a female Slytherin dorm where you cannot exactly be, and vice versa. And Graves, live in bloody Ilvermorny! Even the fastest owl will take days to reach you.  
  
“And- I won't be here for you all the time, you know it, Artie. My graduation is in next month.”  
  
He knew it well enough to not cry at the ceremony and in the line of the second-year.  
  
Leta rubbed his back softly when they were alone by the black lake.  
  
“I really have no idea why there are mirrors in the common room showing an empty lake, there are like kelps, lots of them actually, some fishes. But you know, nothing special.”  
  
Her words made him thought of the marine creatures, Kelpies, perhaps? Or giant squids? Yes, he would totally put giant squids in there, the lake would be a lot more fun. Leta would love them.  
  
She continued to distract him with Slytherin common room and her atrocious dinner.  
  
“…not everything on Hogwarts table is edible, Newt. What an awful liar you are!”  
  
He didn't know when his sobs turned into laughter.  
  
He didn't know when his feeling for her turned into something _more._  
  
.  
  
“Won't you cry, Scamander?”  
  
“Go to your big brother, oh wait, he’s not here anymore!”  
  
“A freak like you can only talk to animals, amirite? Would you let them fuck you too?”  
  
“Damn, I bet he would! Wouldn't ya, wanna carry their babies?”  
  
Humiliation was long gone now, Newt’s anger was there, flowing into his wand. He gripped them tighter than his feeling in his chest.  
  
“Silencio.”  
  
“Leta-“  
  
“Petrificus totalus.”  
  
“Leta, don't-“  
  
“Caecuso.”  
  
“They're not worth it, Leta please.”  
  
 _“But you are!”_  
  
Three bullies from sixth-year, two from other house, one from his own. All of them laid rigidly down on the grass, eyes wide with a horror of nothingness, the last spell took all their senses away. They couldn't feel the air they breathed, it was a cruel curse.  
  
“Leta, let them go. It's alright.”  
  
“What the-? Newt! It was not in anyway, al-fucking-right! You did not just ask me to do that.” Her voice rose, different from the cold one she used to hex.  
  
“Please, Leta. It’ll get you into trouble, we wouldn't want that, I don't want that.”  
  
He didn't realize he was holding his breath until she lifted the last spell off.  
  
“Listen, you sly pieces of shits! I know you know who I am. You don't get into the trouble with Lestrange, your mummies tell and you believe. And my friend here is mine, he is mine, mine! So don't. _Don’t_ …don't get into trouble with the Lestrange.”  
  
With that she lifted all her spell off them, they ran away with Leta’s voice ringing in their heads.  
  
Ringing in his head.  
  
“Am I- yours?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
His first kiss was chaste, tangy from his blood-split lips, only sweetened by Leta’s pumpkin juice. It would have been called a peck for its shortness, still...  
  
 _It was amazing._  
  
.  
  
The sentiment radiating from Percy's letter was filled with rage and sorrow, the tear stained paper was crumbled, Newt finished it in few heartbeats for there was so little of words.  
  
‘Father was gone, Art. He sent his love to you ~~before he~~. Mom misses him already, I miss him too. She ~~was crying~~ is strong, stronger than me.  
  
I just ~~can't~~ couldn't. Please, tell me what to do.  
  
Ps. If you change your mind about Christmas, I will understand, mom too. But the invitation still stands.  
  
Wholeheartedly Yours,  
Percy.’  
  
How could he possibly think he would change his mind about that after this?! That's just so- so Bloody Percy!  
  
It had been almost a year when he saw Percy again, standing on the crowded deck, he looked broader and much older with that sadness in his eyes.  
  
But something never changed, the hug still warmed him to his core.  
  
“Artemis-“  
  
“Hey, Percy.”  
  
The rest of their embrace was lost in silence, left only for the soft sound of Graves’ tears on his coat.  
  
“Oh dear, you're a lot taller! I can't even reach your ear. Come, come in, you must be tired. How were Seus and Ariadne? I bought- ”  
  
Mrs. Graves was as sweet as always.  
  
Newt had both of his cold feet under Graves’ thighs and a hot Cocoa in his hands, they sat close together near the roaring fireplace.  
  
“Geez, your feet are freezing. How could you walk with them?”  
  
Percy pulled his socked feet up and started kneading them, the gesture was so… _intimate_ , he looked up to see a concentrated face and met with the brown eyes.  
  
He didn't think it through when he placed the mug down and pulled the older man into a hug.  
  
Graves went rigid for a second and then melted himself into Newt’s arms, breathed deeply at his neck. His hold was fierce and brutal in its own right, Newt would be bruised, he couldn't give a single galleon to care.  
  
They stayed like that till the light in the room dimmed by a dying fire.  
  
.  
  
Why? Just why? Leta, _why?_  
  
She did something terrible, unforgivable even. If he hadn't seen this with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed it,  
  
Somehow, a little voice in his head disagreed; ‘you see it coming, don't you?’.  
  
Before Newt was a chaos, a horror, the hidden part of forbidden forest was lit up in flame. He screamed at Leta to stop, at _Lilia_ to stop. He appearated and disappearated himself in sync with every heartbeat, took himself closer and closer to the fire. Please don't let him be too late, _please don't._  
  
He ran and ran and ran, and there she was, a blue flame gathered up in her mouth almost ready to let go.  
  
He apparated right in front of it.  
  
“Lilia, calm down girl. I'm here, I am here, look at me, just look at me, love. I'm here, don't do this, let me come to you, it's going to be alright. You're safe, I’m here now. Breathe it in, that's it, yes, that's it. Shhh…you’re going to be alright, nothing's going to hurt you, I’m here. That's it, love, that's it…”  
  
Lilia lowered her head into his waiting hands, even her heated skin burned him, he wasn't letting go.  
  
“Newt, I’m so sorry, it was an accident. He wasn't supposed to be here, I- I am so, so sorry, Newt. Help him, Newt. Help me.”  
  
Oh no, no, no, no! Melin! No!  
  
Leta levitated down a wrecked body, a little boy looked dead to the world. A claw mark couldn't be mistaken. Newt examined the body, thanked heaven he was still breathing. He cast and pored down his everything in desperation.  
  
“Go.”  
  
“What, No! I-“  
  
“You asked me to help you, Leta. Now, go. Get out of the woods.”  
  
“Newt, don't-“  
  
“Go!”  
  
He didn't tear his sight away from his bloody wand when he heard the distinct sound of a disappearation spell, numerous healing charms flowed into the tearing flesh, although; _to no avail_.  
  
A low growl from the Iron-Bellies made him snapped out from his thought.  
  
“Don't! You go too. Hide…I will come for you later. Stay safe.”  
  
He managed to cast his silvery patronus in the third attempt, the wand was too slippery in his shaky hand.  
  
“Dumbledore...”  
  
The glowing imitator of Chopin kicked off its wings through the burnt forest.  
  
Newt had left Hogwarts with a broken wand and a goodbye to his giant squids and Lilia.  
  
He hadn't given one to Leta.  
  
.  
  
Newt didn't know what had he done to deserve his family.  
  
“Oh honey, it's going to be alright. It's just a year, Theseus can teach you anything, I can teach you a whole lot more.”  
  
He kept listening to his mother’s steady heartbeat while looking at Teddy’s frowning face.  
  
“Mum, can I talk to him in private?”  
  
“Would you like that, Artie?” Asking softly against his curl.  
  
“It's okay mummy.”  
  
Their conversations revolved around his future, what and how Theseus would teach him, a trip to Diagon alley for his new wand and a silent promise to never brought Leta up in their lives.  
  
It would be kinder if his brother just screamed at him.  
  
He felt an astonishment when the weight of his new wand sat in his hand _better_ than the old one, Mr. Ollivander told him that this one was meant to be his wand in the first place, but he had made them from a sheer curiosity of mixed core. Afraid of its bizarre power, he had decided to ignore its righteous owner.  
  
If the last year in Hogwarts were in any way like this, he was glad he didn't stay long enough to finish it.  
  
Theseus was teaching him or exhausting him to death, he wasn't sure. When did Hogwarts put a hand-to-hand combat in their elective courses, he wasn't sure about that neither.  
  
Laid his drained body down on the backyard and muttered a murderous way about his brother, the sunlight wavered behind his closed eyes.  
  
“Hello, Artemis.”  
  
He smiled to Percy without opening his eyes.  
  
Percy was relentless but kind in their lessons. He said he mimicked the ones he had at the auror-training program, excluding the kind part.  
  
“Are you okay?” Percy broke the comfortable silence in the hippogriff barn.  
  
“Perfectly fine, Percy. You're a better teacher than Teddy, he was just pure evil who overestimate me.”  
  
“That's not what I meant, Art. I mean, you- with- ah...you know what I mean.”  
  
“I knew what you meant and I knew I don't want to talk about it.” The brush stopped in his hand, Chopin made a protesting sound.  
  
“I see… I will listen to you if you want to talk about it, though. I will _always_ be there for you, Artemis.”  
  
His warm words created fractures in his wall, the warmer touch crumbled it.  
  
“I think she was something, I think we- we were something. I didn't even say goodbye! It wasn't like I didn't want to, but I couldn't find her. I was so worried, and just there- right there! in the Quidditch locker. I came by to return my chaser uniform, and she was there, talking to Amy like every other day. Nothing's changed, she looked content and entirely herself, Percy. I just couldn't- I was so worried, goddamnit! How could she-"  
  
The rest of his snivel was muffled by Percy’s shoulder. Chopin and Beatrice snuggled closer with them on the straw-floor.  
  
Chopin’s head was snoring quietly on Newt’s lap was the last thing he saw before he drifted into a slumber on the older man’s lap as well.  
  
.  
  
It was in the middle of his China trip when he had heard the heat sparking in the Cold War turned it into an actual one. Theseus was called for a major in Western front, Newt himself was called a smuggler when he tried to herd an injured Shī into his case.  
  
In the Supreme Mage Coven of China courtroom, Theseus came to him with a limped leg, asking him to handle the dragons.  
  
All of the species had people assigned to, as only to be expected; the position was always open. Iron-Bellies was specially opened for the most part.  
  
The ministry was ecstatic with him for there had never been a devouring attempt toward him, nor them when he had been there to tell them not to. The dragons were just giving him their meats and pushing him from the high hill most of the time, thought he was a premature born. They later realized that he didn't have retracting wings when a long lost friend _Lilia_ flew from a thick cloud and caught him.  
  
Graves was one of the senior aurors that came to the alliance conference, his fake smile faltered when he saw Newt.  
  
“What are you doing here? You are not supposed to be here! Did Seus know about this? Lewis helps me, this is a fucking red zone!”  
  
“Well, did Teddy tell YOU?, I suppose he did not. Anyway, I'm just taking care of the dragons not hexing enemies. And hello to you too, Percy.”  
  
Percy still grumbling about calvario Theseus’ head throughout the whole dinner.  
  
His secret operation was shut down when the Hungarian Horntails from southern army ate the whole crew because of their own stupid prank, the two dragons needed to be put down.  
  
Newt secured his identity behind a mask, rode on Lilia and freed them a day before their execution. He did the same to every single one of them around the continent, Lilia was the last one to return.  
  
Percy had his arms around his shoulder when he soundlessly cried in the Ukrainian forest.  
  
.  
  
Theseus told him about the madmage went by a name of Grindelwald causing catastrophes around England, Percy told him of his fanatics’ movement in America, so the lesser number of letters was expected.  
  
Everyone told him how it would pain him gravely when he couldn't save creatures, he did know that too well enough by now. But no one told him what it would be like when it came to _a little girl_ instead.  
  
He did not name the swirling darkness _‘Ghada’_ like its host, that would be a disrespectful thing to do.  
  
It was his discovery of their matching carved pearl pendants Percy gave to him last Christmas in Niffler’s nest that save him from his sorrow of the lost girl.  
  
He slept better when it laid next to his heart.  
  
“Shhh…I’m not here to hurt you, boy. You just need to stay very still for me, can you do that for me?”  
  
Newt examined the damaged form of the thunderbird, two of his wings broken, fallen feathers showing infected gashes. He hadn't gone down without a fight.  
  
“This is Pickett, he will get you out of these. Just hold on, stay with me. Frank! Can I call you Frank? You're going to be fine, just don't sleep yet. Stay with me, Frank. Frank!”  
  
He was a second away from the hit of a sand storm when he apparated back to his camp with a new beast to care for.  
  
Every book in his possession were incompetent in giving him information about thunderbirds, then he stumbled upon one of Percy’s letter full of complaints about his mundane magical class.  
  
Five months later, Frank could create a bigger sand storm they had fled from with a single flap. It was the time for him to create greater things in a bigger space, such as a place like _Arizona._  
  
It had been six months of an absent contact, Percy must have been busy with his new responsibility as the Director of Magical Security, he would rather drop by at MACUSA himself.  
  
While feeding the mooncalves, Newt was entertaining himself with Percy's livid but full-on grin on the handsome face from an uninformed visit.  
  
.  
  
That man was _not_ his Percy.  
  
There was no recognition in his eyes, his feeling was twinged at first and then, extremely suspicious.  
  
The way he held himself was familiar but it was off, like a wrong shade of brushstroke in paintings. Percy would never look down to anyone like that, employee or not.  
  
He stopped calling this man Percy, turned it into Director Graves in his head, as distant as it could be.  
  
“You're an interesting man, Mr. Scamander. You were thrown out of Hogwarts for endangering human life with a beast. Yet one of your teachers argued strongly against your expulsion. Now, what makes Albus Dumbledore... so fond of you?”  
  
Newt kept his gaze down on the stains of the metal table, didn't want to give a perfect face to match the familiar voice. It was so absurd and a bit hurt to hear detached phrases poring on him like that.  
  
“I’m not one of Grindelwald’s fanatics, Mr. Graves.”  
  
 _That's it._  
  
Got you, Grindelwald.  
  
Tina was in shock from the sight of an ancient dark magic, he comforted her with the truth, plus; he didn't want his friend got a wrong idea about him as well.  
  
““Useless?” “Useless?” That is a parasitical magical force that killed a child. What on earth would you use it for?”  
  
Upon realizing his mistake, Grindelwald sentenced him and Tina to death with a guilt of a treasonous betrayal of fellow wizards, what an incredulous irony.  
  
.  
  
The Blind Pig wasn't the worst pub he’d ever been, but the hideous goblin was surely one of the filthiest.  
  
Green eyes watched his friend struggled to free from those ugly fingers, reaching for him. He felt the hot tears blurred his visions.  
  
Just trust me, Newt silently pleaded to the bowtruckle without looking.  
  
“Right, one last thing. There’s a Mr. Graves who works at MACUSA—I was wondering what you knew of his background.”  
  
If his cognizance was true, he needed more evidence, some grounded facts, something convincing enough, before he exposed the dark wizard he needed to know more about this- this imposter thing, how long had that maniac been taking his friend’s place, how long was Percy gone? Didn't they notice anything? It was bloody impossible to think like that.  
  
MACUSA was fast, but it was no match for a magizoologist who need to outrun some Abraxan as a job requirement.  
  
Newt thanked Pickett’s attachment issues that the little guy still preferred his pocket coat over his own tree.  
  
.  
  
“Credence, can I come over to you? Can I come over?”  
  
He would save this boy, he wouldn't let him be like Ghada. He would save him, _he had to_.  
  
The blasting spell threw him away from the scared boy who started to run away from the battle. Good Credence. Kept running.  
  
Grindelwald lived up to his own reputation, Newt wouldn't say he was an average wizard for the path he took in his life, but Grindelwald’s power was way beyond his league in certain ways.  
  
His protego had never failed him before, but there's a first time for everything.  
  
Grindelwald caught him on his back, whipping spells without mercy, his wand work was strange and crueler with each spell, it was evidently not Percival’s preference.  
  
Through his blinding agony, he knew what this madman wanted, he wouldn't give it to him. Not without a fight.  
  
But Newt’d never been a subject to cruciatus curse before.  
  
He didn't know it was his own scream until it was too late to hold back.  
  
The obscurus lashed out toward them like lightning strikes, obliterated every surface of its path.  
  
.  
  
“Keep talking, Tina. Keep talking to him—he’ll listen to you. He’s listening.”  
  
He couldn't extract the obscurus from Credence in this state, the black mass was still swirling gently, materialized itself into a young man’s fearful face.  
  
“I know what that woman did to you... I know that you’ve suffered...You need to stop this now, Newt and I will protect you…  
  
“This man, he is using you.”  
  
Come one, Credence. You could do it.  
  
In the moment of calmness, Picquery and her aurors had to march down and destroyed everything.  
  
.  
  
 _“Revelio.”_  
  
Without waiting for the whole real features came to its true nature, he tackled Grindelwald down on the ground, pointed the imposter’s wand toward MACUSA people, his own one dug deep on the man throat.  
  
“Stand back!”  
  
“Mr. Scamander-“, “Newt-“  
  
“Quiet.” With that he let his swooping evil flew around him and his prisoner, prevented any further interruptions.  
  
“I just need a moment, madam president.”  
  
She was enraged and stunned by the true identity of her director, but curious to see what he would do.  
  
“Where is him?” His question cold and quiet.  
  
“Well, well… I see, it has been nagging my mind for a while. Oh…you! You must be _his Artemis_ , are you not? He called out for you. For months. And you didn't come, even to a man like me, that’s cruel.”  
  
He dug his wand deeper, the ghost of Credence’s screams fueled his wrath.  
  
“Where. Is. Percival Graves.”  
  
“How am I supposed to know that, Artie dear. It was three months ago, too long to recall!” The maniac laughed menacingly at his own jape.  
  
Newt hexed him wordlessly with his invented spell.  
  
The choked sound replaced the laughter panicked Picquery.  
  
“Mr. Scamander, you are in no position to-“  
  
“Please. Don't-“ he didn't look away from the choking man, he lifted his spell and leaned down to whisper in the pale ear.  
  
“That was only one of the many and aside from my own curses, you have seen to my creatures, haven't you?”  
  
He paused a little for the words to sink in.  
  
“And you know how much Albus and I are close, I really hate to bring him into this, however that may be, I’m not afraid to claim some of my favors he owed me, _Gellert_.”  
  
.  
  
Because Grindelwald was a sick bastard, the cell that holding a real director of MACUSA would turn into a time-bomb if his wand was away from him more than ten minutes, and in that same amount of time was what they had after the spell was triggered.  
  
Newt calculated his time and barked a location to the dumbfounded aurors and disappearated right away.  
  
 _Six minutes._  
  
Ten aurors apparated right in front of the empty Graves’ manor after him, never had he known that Mrs. Graves’ decision to move out and live on the Scamander farm would have this much perk.  
  
The aurors swarmed the place in a mere second, but they couldn't get through the strong warden.  
  
Unlike Newt.  
  
Still, He couldn't break it for others himself.  
  
His mind ran through worst scenarios while he searched through the cold house, the ticking sound of his pocket watch louder than the bangs of the doors.  
  
 _Five minutes_.  
  
“Percy! Where are you! I'm here now! Please, Percy! Percival! It's Art, it's me. Artemis. Anything Percy-“  
  
 _Four minutes._  
  
He searched through the whole house twice, and all the Graves’ ancestors on the walls weren't any of help. They didn't know that their boy wasn't the real one when he came back here three months ago, alone they said.  
  
He couldn't call for Daisy or Rupert, Percy liberated all his house-elves when he purchased the flat in New York at the start of his career.  
  
“Come on, Percy. Don't leave me alone like this, give me something!”  
  
 _Three minutes._  
  
He let out Dougal, a whole pack of Occamies and the Niffler from his case.  
  
“Find your _daddy._ ”  
  
In desperation, he vanished every piece of useless furniture and tore the entire wallpaper down looking for a secret door, he did not bat an eyelid at the protesting shouts from the pictures.  
  
 _Two minutes._  
  
A silvery light of hippogriff flew from his wand across the room, bigger than an erumpent. It slipped through the wall, searching for its other half.  
  
He came from all the memories with Percy in it.  
  
Newt felt like a fool who played by Grindelwald’s words.  
  
 _Newt felt like a fool who didn't realize who had his heart for all this time._  
  
 _One minute._  
  
His sobs slowed his search, made him angry with himself. If this place was going to blow up, he wouldn't step a foot outside. He would be there for Percy so he wouldn't be alone; not in his death.  
  
Niffler ran up on his lap, he didn't know he had fallen down on the carpet, the only thing with an appalling shade of blue in Percy’s bedroom.  
  
He felt a cold smooth stone on his cheek, an offer from a Niffler.  
  
Their matching pendant.  
  
Newt gasped out a laugh at his niffler's silliness, find your daddy, he said.   
  
_Wait._  
  
10  
  
“Oh my god. Thank you. Thank you.”  
  
9  
  
How could he open it? It wasn't a locket, for Merlin’s sake!  
  
8  
  
Newt tore at his necklace sharply, uncaring for anything other than the pendant.  
  
7  
  
“Please, please. Percy.”  
  
6  
  
He held it close together, they locked themselves perfectly.  
  
5  
  
Newt’s tears dropped down on the small delicate shape they made.  
  
4  
  
He gave it the gentlest kiss with his quivering lips, the one he would give to Percy.  
  
3  
  
“Come back. Come back to me.”  
  
2  
  
“Please, come back, love.”  
  
1  
  
The bright light engulfed him, at least he was with him in the end.  
  
0  
  
“Hello, _little one_.”  
  
He might get to be in heaven after all and it wasn't like he would care if they were in hell together.  
  
There he was, his Percy, holding him in his lap. It was so real, he was so warm. Newt wasn't regretted taking his own life in any single bits.  
  
“Open your eyes, Art.”  
  
He did as he was told. The sight took away the air from his lungs.  
  
Bearded chin on a hallowed face and tired eyes, yet; so warm, so loving.  
  
He would love any version of this man.  
  
“I found you, I’m so sorry I was too late.”  
  
Newt let his tears fall, he didn't want to hold them back, it would have blured him; he feared his love might disappear in a blink of an eye.  
  
“You weren't.” Percy whispered against his forehead while shedding the tears away.  
  
“I- what?”  
  
“I’m here, with you. We’re really here. You saved me, Newt. Artemis- you saved us.”  
  
And just right there and then, the niffler jumped on his laps. He was dumbstruck by its chubby body.  
  
“We’re here? Oh Merlin! We're here! I found you! You came back to me.”  
  
“Yes. I followed your voice, I followed the word ‘love’.”  
  
“Oh…”  
  
“Yes, oh…”  
  
Their real kiss was gentler and much sweeter than the one he gave to the pendants.  
  
.  
  
 _It didn't matter that it took twenty years for this to happen, or that it took the darkest wizard of their time for this to happen_  
  
 _Or that it took a breaking of hearts for this to happen._  
  
 _In everything they do for each other along the way was always a turning page of their lives._  
  
 _It only took the same page for them to know that there is one story._  
  
 _Their story._  
  
 


End file.
